Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 2,031
Admission: £15 Senior
Mileage: 104/6,956
This stage of the season for a club marooned in mid-table has the feel of the last couple of games of pre-season, just want them done and onto the real thing.
Make no mistake, another time and this would have been deemed a great result against a team, fourth in the table and with a place in the playoffs within their grasp. Tonbridge were the better side and had the better chances but despite the contrasting styles, ultimately the two teams cancelled each other out.
It was a strange day at Hampton and Richmond Borough’s Beveree Stadium. Previous visits have seen Tuesday night attendances of 400-odd and an atmosphere as dull as dishwater. But a Good Friday Easter egg hunt brought out the kids and their parents resulting in an unbelievable attendance of over 2,000 but an atmosphere, Angels supporters excepted, still as dull as dishwater.
Jay Saunders welcomed back Nathan Odokonyero, Sean Shields and Jernade Meade with Matty Macarthur and Lewis Gard dropping to the bench with Scott Wagstaff also unfit.
Neither team made much impression in the opening quarter hour until Shields floated an exquisite ball from the left to the right side of the box where Tariq Hinds didn’t quite make a full connection allowing his volley to be pushed to safety by the Hampton goalkeeper, Adam Desbois.
The stalemate in terms of real chances continued until the 38th minute when Shields effort was touch over the bar.
Jonny Henly, on his 300th appearance, made his first real save, and a very good one, diving low to his left to save a Tope Fadahunsi header.
For a large part of the second half, the game looked to have a goalless draw written all over it. Hampton’s style is not easy on the eye with long balls launched into the south-west London sky, many of which were overhit by the proverbial mile. All of which required the concentration of the Tonbridge back line to which they dealt with competently leaving Henly without a save to make in the entire half.
The Angels best chance came in the 81st minute when Odokonyero was denied as Desbois saved.
My own record of never having seen more than one goal in a game at the Beveree remains and never seemed threatened.
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